NO CLOSURE

Demonstration call for the day of the verdict against the National Socialist Underground in Munich

On March 6th 2013, the court case against Beate Zschäpe, André Eminger, Holger Gerlach, Ralf Wohlleben and Carsten Sch. was opened at the Higher Regional Court in Munich. Probably in summer 2017, the trial will end after about 400 days of hearings. Regardless of the outcome: There are more questions than answers left. Therefore, we want to take our protest to the streets. Because we will not consider the NSU to be done.

We want to know who was responsible for the murders, the attacks and the terror. The fixation of the prosecution on Böhnhardt, Mundlos and Zschäpe and their close environment ignores the network structure of the National Socialist Underground. The NSU was not an isolated Group of three people, it was not just the five accused before the court. This believe has been disproven on multiple accounts. Without militant Nazi organizations like Blood and Honour, local fascist groups or the Thuringian home front around covert informants Tino Brandt and Ralf Wohlleben the NSU would have been hardly able to act. The investigation regarding this has been shut down consequently during the process by denying prosecutors access to investigation files and such.
Our aim is the compensation of the victims, survivors and relatives as well as the acknowledgement of their point of view in the matter.
Especially those close to the victims were the first to suggest that the killings might be motivated by a racist agenda, for example on the silent march in Kassel and Dortmund under the slogan „No 10th victim“, where the exploration of the murder series was demanded. Instead, the investigation focused on the social environment of the victims. Every so often even their bereaved relatives were prime suspects to the police. There was little sympathy from the majority of the German society; as people with a migratory background they could not possibly be only victims; some criminal or dangerous connection was automatically assumed. This premise was visible throughout the entire investigation, whether the so-called „Česká-Murders“ as well as with the attacks on for example the Keupstraße in Cologne, although there was seemingly no connection between those. However, the connection was there: the murdered, injured and attacked were targeted solely because of their foreign background. Racial resentments within the police, racial stereotypes in media and public opinion led to false charges and imaginary stories of „mafia structures“ and criminal involvement of the victims.
We need to talk about racism. Racism is a problem of society. This is meant quite literally; our society has a racism problem, and a big one for that. Racism often is pinned only on stereotypical neo fascist. However, it can be found not only within the „New Right“, who rally behind the likes of AfD, PEGIDA and such. It can be found in government offices, police work, the distribution of public resources and participation rights. Racism can be found in lurid election campaigns as well as elegantly written editorials. Racism runs through our entire society, for it is built on hierarchy, exploitation and discrimination. This society build on the rule of power and the unfair distribution of wealth and influence cannot only exist by appealing to a so-called „common culture“, but must also devalue other cultures as inferior. To be assured of your own „identity“, negative attributes are projected on „the others“.
We demand the dissolution of the „Verfassungsschutz“, the German secret service for homeland affairs.
They knew too much instead of not enough. This was already confirmed within the first weeks after the self-exposure of the NSU. However, while the image and legitimation of the „Verfassungsschutz“ took a blow at least temporarily and many voices demanded there dissolution, in the end he emerged even stronger and unscathed. Nowadays he has even more authority than before. For us, this is unacceptable. We demand our questions to be answered: questions regarding the repeating systematical disposal of relevant files, questions about the involvement of Verfassungsschutz operative Andreas Temme, who was present at the internet café of Halit Yozgat when he was killed and denied having observed anything; questions about covert informant Piatto, who as early as 1995 gave important information about Böhnhardt, Mundlos and Zschäpe, who had gone underground by then; questions regarding Ralf Marschner, who seems to have been in contact with the fugitives. The list goes on. In our fight against rightist structures we do not follow the repeating demands to infiltrate this fascist group or that right wing organization, this inevitably being accompanied by financing those as seen multiple times in the past, making them even more dangerous and effective. At least this lesson should be taken from the NSU trial.

We oppose racist propaganda and violence. The NSU has not been the first neo fascist terror organization and it does not seem like it will be the last. During the last couple of months, there have been multiple trials against groups like the „Oldschool Society“ and „Gruppe Freital“. Beside this, there are increasing reports about seized weapons from rightist structures and the emerging of new violent gangs. The number of arsons and hate crimes has been skyrocketing. Moreover, while the nice senior next door is stockpiling compliance weapons ordered from the internet, those in power are constantly cutting back on the right for asylum by implementing so called „integration laws“, building deportation camps and relocating refugees back into war zones.

After four years of trial, the result is upsetting. Rightist violence is played down, the Verfassungsschutz still presents itself as „protector“, racism within our society is far from being overcome and needs to be point out, as done by the UN and NGOs just recently. It seems that the public has learned nothing from the crimes committed by the NSU. Now is the time to change this! Initiatives like „Keupstraße is everywhere“ or the „NSU-Tribunal“ and the numerous local groups working to unravel the deeds of the NSU have demonstrated how it is done.
At the day of the verdict, we want to bring our protest to the streets with together with you! Because for us, the end of the trial does not conclude our discourse with the National Socialist Underground and the society which brought him into being.